In an attempt to combat social distancing caused by Covid-19, The Rolling Art Project, an exciting new Israeli venture in digital exhibition, is bringing together the minds of artists from across the world.
Each artist taking part in the project is tasked with creating a piece of art in response to two title words that they received via email. Artists have just 24 hours to create their art. The project, which originated in Tel Aviv, is being done in collaboration with the Israeli cultural offices in Turkey, the UK, Boston, Moscow and Taiwan. To date, the project has connected over 200 local artists whose works of art are featured in an online gallery.
A brand new edition of the project, also known as Rollo International, is now live. It consists of virtual art shows highlighting the artistic connections between Tel Aviv-based artists and artists based in London, Istanbul, Boston and Moscow. This project was built in collaboration with the Consulates General of Israel to New England, the UK, Moscow and Turkey.
The group behind Rollo is called SICHIM, which was created by a group of culture enthusiasts who joined to create new platforms for art, culture and recreation. SICHIM offers young people the opportunity to meet each other and exchange ideas.
Yana Kotlyar-Gal, Israeli Culture & Science attaché to Russia, said, “For the first time in is history, the Rollo project was conducted simultaneously in both the virtual world, and in the hostel of one of the most modern galleries in Moscow - the Solyanka Gallery, in collaboration with the Territory International Modern Art Festival.
“The event, marking the 30th anniversary of the renewal of relations between the two countries, created a fascinating multidisciplinary cultural dialogue with painters, musicians and dancers who created art simultaneously in the two countries.”
Galit Cohen Caspi, Israel’s cultural attache in Taiwan, added, “The Rollo Israel Taiwan project is one of the most outstanding cultural projects that the Israeli legation in Taiwan has conducted in recent years. Especially at a time when Corona has severely restricted the existence of international cultural events and artist exchanges, the Rollo project enables a fruitful artistic encounter that bridges geographical gaps and creates a cross-cultural dialogue.”
Anna Bord, project manager, noted, “Since Covid kept us all at home, we thought of how we could build connections between artists even when we couldn’t meet each other and travel was restricted. While being locked in, connections made in the virtual space felt artificial – like ice that could not be broken – and this was the thing we wanted to change. Rollo has succeeded, first and foremost, in being a fun game. Throughout the project, artists were able to do what they love the most - to create, and by referencing other artists' work, as a source of inspiration, communication was established between different Israeli and international artists.”
Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan) celebrates the launch of Rollo creative exchange online exhibition, which is the Ministry’s first cooperation project with the "Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei". Minister Lee Yung-te said it not only enhances the cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Israel, but also demonstrates the "new normal" of international exchanges during the pandemic.
Finally, curator Yi-Wei Keng said, “The artists from Taiwan and Israel focus on the digital media. They are very creative and young. The Rollo project makes a link between here and there, now and the future.”
For more information on the Rolling Art project.